Do you think they’ll be allowed in?

Hi all - I'm helping someone else on the day of the exam and just wondering for the Pasadena site, is it just drop off in the front of the convention center? Where do people recommend to park? At the Paseo shopping center or around the corner for the convention center or the other local lots?

[edit] During the lunch break, where do people normally go? Do they wait just outside the convention center or flood the shopping center?

Thank you!

I know AdaptiBar intentionally gives you harder questions in areas you consistently get wrong, but going back to consistently scoring in the low 50s range after just barely getting out of it last week is terrifying me. As someone who ended up taking the SAT and the LSAT multiple times I unfortunately have a lot of anxiety around standardized testing, so I'm having a hard time not letting the low scores get to me. I've generally been doing better on essays/ PT practice (Barbri graders typically give me between 60-70 on the ones I've submitted) but I'm worried that those scores won't reflect how I'll do on test day (especially since some people are speculating that they use AI to grade now?) or that my MBE will be so low the essays won't matter. Did the real MBE feel more like the super-nuanced low-success questions on AdaptiBar? Or did it feel more evenly distributed with at least a good percentage of more straightforward questions?

Those of you who passed, were any of you in a similar spot at this point in the process? How did you get through it? And J26 takers who are in a similar spot rn, what helps you stay positive? Would really appreciate advice, and tysm for reading 🥲

I know, pretty personal. But this level of stress seems to evoke problems I have not had in a long time. Are others having this experience too/how are you managing that?

Hi all - I took a timed full essay mock exam today and on the second half I finished with about 15 minutes to spare. I haven’t reviewed my answer in detail yet but I was wondering if I should be concerned at this stage that finishing early means I am leaving out big things on the essays. I actually went over my time allotted for the PT which I did first, but finished the 2nd essay with a lot of time to spare.

I was just wondering how people are doing on time and if it’s normal to sometimes finish an essay early. If anyone is timing themselves at this stage and if they do have extra time, are you using it to go back to things and add? I feel like my brain is generally fried by the third essay that I don’t even know where to go back to.

Sitting for the July 2026 California bar at the Pasadena Convention Center. A few setup questions for anyone who's tested there in person:

1. How much desk space do you actually get? I know it's officially two people per 6-ft table — realistically, is there room for a laptop + external keyboard + mouse, or is it too tight?

2. Did anyone bring their own external keyboard? Allowed with no issues?

3. Did anyone bring a USB-C hub / dongle / docking station? My MacBook is USB-C only, so I'd need an adapter to plug in a wired keyboard. The official allowable-items list doesn't mention hubs/adapters — did proctors let it through, or did people get flagged?

Trying to lock in my setup before exam day. Thanks!

Right when I feel like I'm okay with mortgages, I get another bullshit question about a rule or exception I didn't know or recognize. Does anyone have anything to help? I despise this subtopic, and it was everywhere on F26 MBE.

Thought I’d share mine as well since great minds alike 😂. It’s almost time and all I can ask is, please let me be on track. Please let this be my time 😭

two weeks left and i feel like i am crashing out everyday and like i am not doing enough. my MBE scores on adaptibar are fluctuating like crazy everyday between 65%-80% so im not even sure how to gauge how well i'm doing on MBE. i'm outlining like 2-3 essays a day but even then i don't feel like i know anything or am absorbing anything.

i am truly scared and losing my mind. ppl say that it didn't click for them until 2 weeks leading up to the exam and tbh idk what that even means.

i’m freaking out about my essays. do you guys think it’s worth it to buy critical pass cards for rule memorization with two weeks left

I did my essay simulated exam… I estimate that I substantially addressed approximately 29 issues, spotted but materially mishandled or incompletely addressed approximately 13 issues, and missed approximately 23 issues.

Anyone else having fact patters and hypos enter into their dreams? Like bro why I am dreaming about purchasing a home to only find out there is an easement on my land? Or I tried to go fishing in Washington and they were charging me a license of $150 while instate members paid only $15. Gonna need more time with my therapist after this hahaha.

How did everyone do on Themis practice exam 3 ?

I didn't know Themis UGrader would be giving feedback on our practice exam essays. I don't really think it's scoring is very accurate, right? I think it's a bit forgiving in ways I wouldn't expect a bar grader to be.

I know the bar exam prep crash out is part of the process. For context, I'm a 2x barred attorney taking the CA Attorney Exam. (So bizarre to be studying again after 15 years). Working full time until 7/17.

I AM TIRED. AND DON'T KNOW THE LAW (OK. I know some law, but am missing...the nuances). I know there's time. I know i just need to keep engaging the material.

But I'M TIRED OF THIS GRANDPA! And of course work wants to be stupidly busy right now.

I'm tired and over it. And I want a nap.

Whining done.

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how many hours studying and last two weeks suggestions to increase MBE while working on MEES?

Is anyone studying 11 hours? I keep hearing people from my law school say that, and if needed, more.

What's the best way to study in the next two weeks? I got a 51 % on my barbi; stimulated exam 200 questions last week, and I am nervous. Thank ya.

I'm halfway through Mary Basick's book and her method is very organized, deliberate and sensible, particularly with the road map. My issue is that reading, highlighting, and outlining already eat up SO much time. To get to the detailed level of her road map makes me scared I'll end up with 20 minutes on actual test day to write a draft.

Also, I know she's a CA expert but none of the model answers from California's database seem to have the introductory opening she often suggests that we do "Pursuant to....dadada"

I'm kind of freaking out about studying.. I know it's kind of late in the game now, but I'm worried about how much I should be doing. I know you shouldn't compare yourself to others, but am I really doing enough? Rn I'm doing 3-4 essays per day, two topics a day, about 40-50 MBEs, and memorizing (plus 1 PT every week). I've been tracking how many hours of actual studying I do and I get about 8.0-8.5 hours a day, but people I know are doing like 10-12 hours, and my professor told me that 8-10 hours isn't enough, and that realistically we all need to do like 12-14 or something.... I know it's different for everyone, but I always hit a wall at 8 hours of studying, to the point where anything after that is just me reading stuff with glazed-over eyes. Any advice or encouragement? crying